June 1, 2009 - Crain's Detroit Business

Auto vets form nonprofit to help manufacturers

Three veterans of the auto industry have formed a nonprofit, Revitalizing Michigan, and will seek federal, state and private grants to fund their mission of helping manufacturers improve their processes.

CEO Greg Bernabei,who spent nearly 20 years at Ford Motor Co., including a stint as engineering manager in the clay development studios, says the nonprofit, temporarily based in Northville, is negotiating for space in Detroit to house several CAD stations and hopes to be up and running by the end of the year.

He said the nonprofit has applied for one grant with the U.S. Department of Transportation and will apply for a grant in June with the U.S. Department of Education and in September with the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“We want to work with local manufacturing companies to help turn their companies around,” he said.

Other founders are Robert McTavish, executive vice president of business development who worked at Ford and General Motors Corp. before founding his own sales consulting firm; Michael Pizzo, executive vice president of technology who spent 15 years in a variety of IT roles at Ford; and Karen Montgomery, executive vice president of finance, an accountant who was formerly in private banking at J.P. Morgan Chase.

The nonprofit has a Web site: www.revmichigan.com